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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29019999">growing up smart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/seijohlad/pseuds/seijohlad'>seijohlad</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Witch's Heart (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Based on experience, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gifted Kid Burnout, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Maths on Fire, Other, backstory headcanons</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:47:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,213</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29019999</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/seijohlad/pseuds/seijohlad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a gifted kid was something Matty used to be praised for.<br/>But to him, it's nothing but an awful burden. </p><p>//<br/>A backstory based on my hcs for him. Based on my experience as a gifted kid hehe.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ashe Bradley &amp; Lilia Bradley, Maths on Fire, Matty/Richard (Witch's Heart)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>growing up smart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello Witch's Heart fandom!<br/>It's me, the irl Matty once again with a Matty fanfic<br/>This one might be triggering tbh<br/>Mentions of abuse, anxiety, homophobia, yeah.<br/>Also sorry, English is not my first language-<br/>Enjoy &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dark eyes squinting through the crowd, searching furiously for two familiar faces congratulating them. Spotting them, they lit up, a smile shining through the face of their owner. </p><p>A six year old Matty, standing proudly next to his teacher as he was given a prize for being the best student of their class. He understood things fast. About one month in, he could already write in cursive and read a small text perfectly. He was his parents' pride.</p><p>He ran up to his parents, excitedly rambling about his good grades and the enjoyment he got from being at school. His parents smiled at him, ruffling his hair and walking home, after commenting with a "That's my boy.".</p><p>---------</p><p>"Mom, My head hurts,,"</p><p>"Stop trying to find excuses to miss school. You've been saying that the whole week, it's no use, I won't believe you."</p><p>"But it actually hurts!.."</p><p> </p><p>Matty sighed, walking out the door of his house to the car. He was eight years old, and no matter how many times he brought it up, his mother wouldn't believe his awful headache. </p><p>During class, he couldn't properly see the board, continuously squinting and trying to figure out whatever was written on it, only worsening his headache. Halfway through the day, his headache got so bad he had to ask the teacher to send him home, not being able to focus anymore.</p><p>"Mom, I can't see the board in class."</p><p>Complaining, the young boy sighed, leaning his head back into the car seat. His mother looked over at him, getting concerned.</p><p>"Why didn't you say this earlier? I'll take you to an eye doctor, don't worry."</p><p>Matty didn't want to say that he didn't talk about it because his mother wouldn't have believed him, she would have scolded him for talking back and making her a bad person. </p><p> </p><p>A few days later, Matty went to his appointment with an eye doctor, and got home with the conclusion that he, in fact, needed glasses and that it was the reason for his headaches. He got glasses not long after that, a pair of rectangular light blue glasses, which he was very proud of. </p><p>His teacher called over his parents, at some point during his 4th grade year. The young boy got worried, did he do something wrong? Was his teacher disappointed? He sat nervously, in front of his teacher and between his parents. </p><p>"So, your son is really smart, which I am really proud of him for. We believe he might get bored in a 4th grade class, which is why we thought it would be appropriate to send him into a 5th grade one. Obviously the answer depends on his will and I'd be really happy for him to stay in my class."</p><p>A talk set itself between the parents and the teacher of the young boy, who sat there, confused. Going to 5th grade sounded great, but he was kinda nervous to leave his friends. Not that he had a lot, but it felt quite,,, intimidating going into a class with older people. </p><p>He went home with his parents, still not decided on anything.</p><p>"You're gonna accept, right??"</p><p>"Huh? Oh, I don't know yet actually,,"</p><p>"Its an amazing opportunity. You can't just miss out on it. Just think about it, you're so smart! It'd be a waste to ignore it!"</p><p>And so Matty agreed to skip a class. And that's when things started going downhill. </p><p>--------</p><p>Black hair in a mess, tears running down rosy cheeks, glasses set aside on a nightstand, Matty was crying, his head in his arms and his knees brought up to his chest. Some kid called him a teacher's pet once again, and even though he was used to it by now, he was still hurt every time by those names. </p><p>His father didn't know about it. He never told his father anything, he wouldn't understand. His mother,,, well, she knew about it, but her only answer would either be "maybe you should reconsider the image you are giving to them?" Or "it's just a rough time, it'll get better in middle school." </p><p> </p><p>Except it didn't. </p><p>It got worse. </p><p> </p><p>Matty was the 'smart and nice kid'. Someone needed help with their homework? Of course, he'd do it for them! No one wanted to pair up with him for the project? That's okay, he'll do it on his own. No one wanted to hang out with him? It's okay, he could read if he got bored.</p><p>He would always keep the image of not being hurt by his classmates leaving him out. </p><p>The only thing that made him happy was his first friend in 7th grade. <strong>Richard</strong>. Richard wasn't very smart, actually he was quite dumb, but he and Matty got along very well. They were good friends.</p><p>Matty and Richard spent all their days together. They'd always pair up together, eat lunch together, and play with each other when no one else would. </p><p>They stayed friends for a while, and Matty didn't even notice himself falling for his best friend. When did he start noticing all of Richard's mannerisms? When did he,,, start catching feelings for another guy?</p><p>He quickly figured it out: he was gay. Oh god he was so gay. Only problem with that is,, well. His parents. </p><p>Matty had grown to dislike, even despise them as years passed. And that was honestly deserved. His grades were slowly dropping, due to the amount and difficulty of the work, and he couldnt keep up with it, often getting panic attacks over an assignment that was due the next day. </p><p>When he asked them what their opinion on gay people was, they spat out hateful words, cursing them and calling them a sin, sick and saying that they needed therapy. </p><p>Needless to say he didn't feel safe in this house anymore. </p><p>Aside from his parents, Matty was quite happy at the end of his middle school. He was with his best friend, he was quite liked and had some friends at school, and was pretty happy overall. </p><p>But reaching high school, that's when <em>he </em>appeared.  </p><p>
  <strong>Ashe Bradley. </strong>
</p><p>Ashe was amazing. He was smart, had good grades, was nice, helpful, loved by everyone including the students and the teachers. In short, he was perfect. </p><p>And he got on Matty's nerves. </p><p>He quickly became friends with Matty and Richard,, for some reason. They both learnt that Ashe had a younger sister named Lilia, that she had an illness and he wanted to become a doctor to heal her. </p><p>Matty honestly thought Ashe could achieve his dreams. With his grades, his knowledge and his determination, it would be an easy game. </p><p>He came over a few times,, they had sleepovers, study sessions, and all that stuff, so Matty's parents knew about Ashe. They liked him, I mean who didn't like Ashe actually.</p><p>They wouldn't shut up about him. "The Bradleys' son" this, "the Bradleys' son" that,,, always comparing Matty to him, and always praising him.</p><p>He tried to take example on Ashe. He, and Richard, tried to achieve becoming doctors just like him, they really tried to.</p><p> </p><p>But obviously, they'd fail. He'd fail. He never learnt how to work, all his skills he was praised for weren't useful anymore.</p><p>And he hated himself. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>now that this is done time to start working on an angst Maths on Fire fanfic<br/>Anyways half of this was rushed please don't hate me </p></blockquote></div></div>
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